Poroelastic modeling of soap hole formation

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dc.contributor.advisorLauer, Rachel
dc.contributor.authorReid, Sarah Marie
dc.contributor.committeememberInnanen, Kristopher
dc.contributor.committeememberHayley, Jocelyn
dc.date2023-11
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-31T15:46:58Z
dc.date.available2023-05-31T15:46:58Z
dc.date.issued2023-05-24
dc.description.abstractSoap holes were first identified >50 years ago as areas of localized surface weakness characterized by a thin and fragile crust covering liquefied sand, silt, clay, and water. It was hypothesized that their morphology is tied to discharge regions, where groundwater is moving upward to the ground surface through unconsolidated sediment. Soap holes are ubiquitous features across the prairies and manifest as either mounds or flat surface expressions underlain by liquefied mud. They range in diameter from less than 1-m to 10s of meters and can reach up to several meters in depth. Due to their thin and fragile crust, they pose a risk to farming equipment and livestock, with several farmers reporting loss of cattle and extensive portions of land that are no longer farmable. Previous work has provided hydrological and geochemical constraints to create a conceptual model for soap hole formation. In this conceptual model, pressurized water from a confined aquifer travels upward through preferential flow paths in glacial till to a lacustrine deposit at the ground surface. There, the combined effects of increased fluid pressure and clay dispersion cause the soil to liquefy and form a soap hole. This study tests the conceptual model for soap hole formation by determining which parameters and processes impact the extent and volume of liquefaction in a 3-dimensional model using a steady state solution in COMSOL Multiphysics. In COMSOL, we employ Darcy’s Law, solid mechanics, and poroelasticity to successfully approximate a simplified version of the observed field data. Variations in hydraulic, elastic, and geometric parameters were explored to determine their impact on the volume of liquefaction in the model. The results provide insight into the conditions required for soap hole formation and serve to verify the conceptual model developed through field studies.
dc.identifier.citationReid, S. M. (2023). Poroelastic modeling of soap hole formation (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1880/116583
dc.identifier.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/41426
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisher.facultyScience
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject.classificationGeophysics
dc.subject.classificationGeology
dc.titlePoroelastic modeling of soap hole formation
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineGeoscience
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudentI do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.
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